Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-06-13

A Telling Ceuparison % ne EnglisA
Races-The GeAestA's Record Recalled.
From the New York Tribune
there Is any virtue In that threadhare old
proverb figures never ier it Is not at all dincult
to calculate by the putting OF this and that to
gether that there - &C least one yacht IN this
country that can beat the Thistle The great
scotch cutter has now appeared In seven races
ana mas won fve Of them on actual TINA In six
OF thess races me has had the 0enesta % Q com.
pee,tor and twice reached the finishing line b.
hind Sr Richard Suttonp cutter.
AZ the sailing qualities OF the 0enesta have been
tested ~ American yachts It 10 not Q dtfncult
matter 20 make comparisons between her perform
her brushes with the Thistle. and in that way
roonoapoue though It may 6e-make Q fair est
mate OF the relative speed OF the Ciydebuilt won
IN her maiden rsos nom soutSsnd 70 HaSwtcs
on Nay % the Thistle had O remarkable run a
1Hck ana finished a minutes ahead OF the Genesta
light and variable winds throughout and OF the
fog which enyeloped the boats much OF the time
the scotch mug-hunter was the more fortunate In
catching favorable siants> The forty-nye mile
race on Harwicn on May SO was another nuke,
70 md the turning buoys The Thistle was
oefeate0 on this occasion the GeneSta getting
home e minutes ahead OF her and the lrex beat
the INST fair trial thecup challenger had WAS on
nay 81 from Harwich TO Southend and then she
The day was Q splendid one for sailing. the wind
blowing steadily from the east ana the sea being
smooth Il was one OF the fastest races ever sailed
forty-nve miles in hours i minute and IS
seconds On the next day the same easterly wind
the fSs d the rscns ses oHst sSs Thames
5O.mile course, from Lower Hope to Mouse Light
ship and return this time finishing Is minutes be.
Sir Richard Suttons boat was called back for
crossing the line before the starting gun was fred
Ior the run over the Thames course on June and
June 4, when the course was from the Nore to DO
ver. and beat the Thistle minutes "a seconds It
Was On this DAY that the Thistle's weak point was
uncovered The wind at times was strong, and
while the other boats were carrying good Spread
o. canvas she was obliged to strike her topsafs and
house her topmast The weather was hardly sat-
islactory Tor judging the sailing merits OF the
vessels, as there were alternate Gains and SQUALLS
greater part OF the six hours In which the racers
In her last race, over forty.four mile trtangu-
lar course on Dover on June 6, the Scotch nyer
again MADE good showing and finished 10
was brisk WHOLESALE breeze and everything was
favorable for good test.
OF the sig races in which the Genesta partici-
pated only Tour Can be regarded as afYordng fair
Opportunity for comparing the speed OF the two
boats In one of these the Thistle beat the 0enests
Az minutes. IN another % minutes and In another
beat the Thistle minutes 81 seconds In these
four races, then, the Thistle proved herself TO be
on an average 10 minutes IL seconds faster than
the Genesta- Even II the races OF May % and 20
be included, which would be manifestly unfair for
purposes OF comparison, the average speed OF the
scotch cutter Is only II minutes Il seconds greater
than that OF the English one
Reference 70 the contest for the Americas cup
IN 1850 between the Genesta and Puritan recalls
the fact that the Boston "bean-pot" won the first
race over the regular New York Yacht Club course
oy l6 minutes a. seconds actual time, and the
second, 20 miles to leeward from Scotland light
snip ana return, In minutes seconds, and from
these figures II Is apparent that she is 9 minutes
2S seconds faster than her English competitor A
fair idea OF the difference between the speed OF
the Puritan and Maynower may be obtained from
the time made by them in the trial races OF 1885
In the nrst OF these contests Gen. PaineB hand
some craft covered the course minutes 81 Sec
0nds quicker than the Puritan, and In the second
8 minutes n seconds quicker, and altogether,
showed herself to be minutes 40 seconds faster
on the average.
H. then, the puritan is minutes and q seconds
faster than the Genesta, and the Maynower is 4
minutes 40 seconds faster than the Puritan. Il Is
the easiest sort OF mathematics to add these
ngures together and thereby show that the
Mayflower Is IA minutes seconds faster than the
GeneSta, which has already been shown to be only
10 minutes IL seconds slower than the Thistle
II this reasoning Is approximately correct, last
years successful Americas Cup defender Is
nearly 4 minutes faster than this years chal.
ienger and may safely be relied upon to save 1t
again.